Lantern Bearer
- September 10, 2020
- kumakare
Get on SteamLantern Bearer is a tough platformer about a small bear that falls into a dark and mysterious well. Choose your own path and claw your way back to the surface.
Reviews
- The game features cute graphics, pleasant music, and satisfying controls, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- The level design is mostly well done, with unique mechanics introduced in each of the five worlds, providing a fun and fresh experience.
- It's a challenging precision platformer that rewards players with a sense of improvement and accomplishment as they progress through the levels.
- The difficulty curve is steep, with the final levels of each world being significantly harder than the earlier ones, which can lead to frustration.
- There are issues with optimization, including random slowdowns and lag that can disrupt gameplay, making precision platforming more difficult.
- Some level designs feel repetitive and uninspired, relying on similar mechanics that can become tedious over time.
- music9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its pleasantness and strong alignment with the various worlds, particularly excelling in the ice world. While some users found the desert world's music a bit odd, overall, the sound design and original soundtrack (OST) are considered solid and enjoyable, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
“The music is really well matched to the worlds, especially the ice world; it was groovy. I did feel the desert world's music was a little odd, but it still sounded good, so I never really cared much. Overall, the sound design and music are really solid.”
“One of the best platformers I've played lately; I really enjoyed all the levels, the OST, and the difficulty curve.”
“The OST is also a banger in my opinion.”
“The music is really well matched to the worlds, especially the ice world. I did feel the desert world's music was a little odd, but it still sounded good, so I never really cared much. Overall, the sound design and music are really solid.”
“The OST is also a banger, in my opinion.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward platforming challenge where players navigate through five distinct worlds, each featuring ten progressively difficult levels with unique mechanics and aesthetics. While the repetitive nature of some challenges may be a drawback, the game effectively integrates its gimmicks into the level design, providing a satisfying and challenging experience reminiscent of titles like Super Meat Boy. Players can tackle the worlds in any order, allowing for a varied gameplay experience that culminates in unique final levels that test the skills learned throughout the game.
“Firstly, the gameplay is simple: get to the end of each level without dying. There are 5 worlds with 10 levels each, which progressively get more difficult. Each world introduces its own set of gimmicks and environments that work nicely together, and the gimmicks are never used in an annoying fashion.”
“The 5 different zones can be played in any order, and while you will learn some of the game's mechanics from them, the zones have unique designs that correlate directly into the gameplay mechanics of that zone.”
“It'd feel alright if only one world abused that mechanic, but no, you'll have to do the same platforming challenge over and over again.”
“A visually cute but mechanically quite difficult little platformer that feels like a Super Meat Boy fangame, but a competently made one with some original enemy ideas.”
“Ultimately these zones culminate in their own unique final levels, taking all the mechanics from the levels previous to them, as a final test of skill.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning blend of pixel art and visual effects, creating a visually pleasing experience that complements the gameplay. Each world features a unique aesthetic, enhancing the overall charm, while the adorable character design adds to the appeal. Overall, the visuals reflect a high level of care and creativity, making it a standout choice for fans of platformers.
“The graphics are stunning and have a nice blend between pixel style and VFX, which really makes each element of the game just slot together and is insanely pleasing on the eyes.”
“There was a lot of love put into the visuals, and if you're looking for a nice platformer, it's for you.”
“- adorable bear main character with solid pixel art aesthetic.”
“The game is hard as hell, don't be fooled by the cutesy graphics.”
“The worlds can be played in any order, and each has its own unique aesthetic and mechanics.”
“The adorable bear main character features solid pixel art aesthetics.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the initial levels in each world enjoyable, but the subsequent levels often become tedious and frustrating due to poor level design. While some appreciate that the game avoids excessive early grinding, the later stages are criticized for their repetitive and irritating nature.
“The first seven levels in each world are enjoyable, but what follows after them is tedious and frustrating.”
“The level design is irritating and tedious most of the time.”
“The game doesn't waste the player's time with too many early tedious levels.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game lacks any narrative elements, including cutscenes, dialogue, or a tutorial, resulting in a minimalistic experience devoid of a traditional story structure. Players also noted the absence of key binding customization and a pause menu, further emphasizing the game's focus on gameplay over storytelling.
“No cutscenes, dialogue, or story at all.”
“You can't change the key bindings, there's no tutorial, and there's no story; there isn't even a pause menu.”
“The narrative is completely absent, leaving players without any context or engagement.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is perceived as poorly optimized, leading to a sense of low quality and a lack of polish in its performance.
“It feels unoptimized and cheap.”
“The game runs poorly on high-end hardware, which is frustrating.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
